Fluorometholone

The Basics

What is Fluorometholone?

Corticosteroid that helps reduce the swelling in the eye.

Brand names for Fluorometholone

Flarex

How Fluorometholone is classified

Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Corticosteroids – Ophthalmic, Glucocorticoids

Fluorometholone During Pregnancy

Fluorometholone pregnancy category

Category N/ANote that the FDA has deprecated the use of pregnancy categories, so for some medications, this information isn’t available. We still think it’s useful to list historical info, however, given what a common proxy this has been in the past.

What we know about taking Fluorometholone while pregnant

Fluorometholone has been shown to be embryocidal and teratogenic in rabbits when administered at low multiples of the human ocular dose. Fluorometholone was applied ocularly to rabbits daily on days 6-18 of gestation, and dose-related fetal loss and fetal abnormalities including cleft palate, deformed rib cage, anomalous limbs and neural abnormalities such as encephalocele, craniorachischisis, and spina bifida were observed. There are no adequate and well controlled studies of fluorometholone in pregnant women, and it is not known whether fluorometholone can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Fluorometholone should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus.

Taking Fluorometholone While Breastfeeding

What are recommendations for lactation if you're taking Fluorometholone?

No information is available on the ophthalmic use of fluorometholone during breastfeeding. Because absorption from the eye is limited, ophthalmic fluorometholone would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants. To substantially diminish the amount of drug that reaches the breastmilk after using eye drops, place pressure over the tear duct by the corner of the eye for 1 minute or more, then remove the excess solution with an absorbent tissue.

Maternal / infant drug levels

No information is available on the ophthalmic use of fluorometholone during breastfeeding. Because absorption from the eye is limited, ophthalmic fluorometholone would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants. To substantially diminish the amount of drug that reaches the breastmilk after using eye drops, place pressure over the tear duct by the corner of the eye for 1 minute or more, then remove the excess solution with an absorbent tissue.

Possible effects of Fluorometholone on milk supply

Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.

Possible alternatives to Fluorometholone

Prednisolone.